Tech in Far-Off Lands

“Had nations better understood the potential of the Internet, I suspect they might well have strangled it in its cradle. Emergent technology is, by its very nature, out of control, and leads to unpredictable outcomes.” — William Gibson Directors Guild of America’s Digital Day Los Angeles, May 17, 2003

Big ups to Tom Randall for scoring this fascinating piece. Well done, sir! Bloomberg: Aug. 31 (Bloomberg) — The United Nations has sent about 10,000 text messages on mobile phones to help inform Iraqi refugees in Syria that an international food distribution program for them begins tomorrow. The UN Refugee Agency and the World Food Program will initially distribute enough rations to feed 33,000 Iraqis in Syria and about 50,000 by the end of the year, the UN said today…

If there’s one thing that I love to imagine, it’s how much more liveable Los Angeles would be if there was a decent transportation system. Turns out, the future of LA’s public transportation might be in Shanghai: Los Angeles Times: In 1990, four years after Los Angeles broke ground on its Red Line subway, Shanghai began to build a subway system too. Los Angeles was one of the richest cities in the world, with an extensive freeway network, top-notch engineers…

Foreign Policy Magazine NET EFFECT: HOW TECHNOLOGY SHAPES THE WORLD September/October 2007 The YouTube Clones By Cyrus Farivar YouTube may be the most popular video-sharing site in the world, but similar homegrown sites are popping up and gaining popularity in some of the world’s most illiberal locales. Just like YouTube in the United States, China’s 6rooms.com, Turkey’s Izleriz.com, and Jordan’s Ikbis.com make it easy for people to upload video of any sort, and the sites remain popular for their nearly…

Thanks to Veljo Haamer and his band of WiFi minions, there’s now free WiFi on the Hiiumaa ferry, a journey that takes an hour-and-a-half to complete from the mainland. It works via a long-range EVDO modem, connected to a WiFi access point, and provides free Internet access in the on-board restaurant. It took Veljo and two assistants just a short couple of hours to get the new maritime access point set up this morning. I never cease to be amazed…

Wired News: By Cyrus Farivar 02:00 AM Mar, 06, 2007 RIGA, Latvia — At first glance, Hansa Buss’ new coach seems like any ordinary bus — it’s got big, not-yet-sticky rubber steps leading inside to row after row of seats. Curiously, some of the seats have electrical outlets mounted in the sidewalls of the bus. Farther down the aisle, in the midsection of the bus, is a kitchenette, complete with an espresso machine, a microwave and a small pantry area.…

Unfortunately I haven’t found many places that have WiFi, but just by chance, today I found that Katia has WiFi. Katia is a pizza place that has a great outdoor patio on the Route de l’aéroport in Ngor (near the USAID office and a Shell station) that Naomi took me to my first week in Dakar. I’m not sure if they have power outlets inside, but that would be my only request to improve the patio. Still, with cheap shwarma,…

There’s a walk that I’ve taken in three different places, in three different cities at three different times in my life. In 1997-1998 it was at Bossey, just outside Geneva. In 2002-2003 it was at UGB just outside Saint-Louis. In 2007, it’s been here, in Yoff, on the edge of Dakar. This is a walk that I take alone, completely alone. I don’t talk to anyone. The walk takes me from my comfort zone of being on the Internet, to…

BBC: Iranian women have been warned to be on the look-out for cameras hidden in places where they undress, such as fitting rooms, gyms and swimming pools. The chief of Iran’s police, Esmail Ahmadi Miqadam, said some shop owners were fitting spy cameras themselves. Iranian authorities want to stop a wave of secretly-filmed pornographic DVDs hitting markets and internet sites. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been championing a drive to banish unwanted Western cultural influences from Iran. Last year, Western and…

Newswire.co.nz: Residents of the remote Pitcairn Island are a step closer to the outside world with the introduction of a host of modern communications. Thanks to funding from the British Government, all homes now have a private telephone and fast internet connection, as well as live television broadcasts. Pitcairn’s Deputy Governor, Matthew Forbes, says islanders previously communicated via unstable satellite phones and an intermittent internet service. He says the new services will help reduce Pitcairn’s isolation and are being met…